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Sundberg says China swine flu finding lacks context

The head of the Swine Health Information Center says the recently published study about a “new” swine flu virus in China that could become a pandemic lacks context. Dr. Paul Sundberg tells Brownfield he talked with influenza experts in the U.S. about the study and while they all agree it was scientifically rigorous it was about a virus that is not new…

“This was a report of a specific one that they found in China in these

Sundberg says the study doesn’t indicate the level of risk of the G-4 strain of H1N1, “There really isn’t any indication from the paper, from the information in the paper, that this is any higher risk or lower risk than any other influenza virus that is out in any pig population.”

Sundberg says there is no evidence of the virus in the U.S. pig population. He says the report IS an opportunity to remind U.S. producers of the potential of swine flu viruses to affect their animals and themselves and potentially become a pandemic.